


Mirror Worlds

by BlackStoryPieces



Category: Captive Prince - C. S. Pacat
Genre: It’s a crossover between the different canon characters and their doubles, Laurent being shocked at seeing himself being friends with Damianos, Laurent has his brother back, M/M, Multiverse, They meet their doubles, kind of
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-17
Updated: 2018-06-17
Packaged: 2019-05-18 06:26:18
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,767
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14847500
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlackStoryPieces/pseuds/BlackStoryPieces
Summary: On earth one, Laurent meets the killer of his brother and lets him get through the same pain he had to endure: he arranges for him to get raped (without success), lets him get flogged and humiliates him.On earth two, Vere and Akielos never fought against each other at Marlas. More so, the two crown princess are friends and Damen even has the pleasure to meet Laurent when he is only an infant. Laurent gets the possibility to grow up as the bookish, shy young man along his brother.In which Laurent’s uncle has another plan should the assassination against Laurent go wrong. He wants to get rid of his nephew, once and for all. He hires an Akielon priest that can make his nephew and Damianos disappear. Little does he know that they’re send on another earth. An earth where Laurent never suffered.





	1. Perfect World

**Author's Note:**

> I started having this idea in the middle of the night. “The flash” series kind of influenced me. I always asked myself what would happen if Laurent escapes the terror of his uncle and finds himself in a world where that all never happened.  
> Have fun :)

**Earth 2:**

 

Auguste parried Damen’s next blow and smirked triumphantly down at him. The younger boy took his chance and immediately raised his sword again while Auguste bathed in his arrogance. But the older and more experienced teenager had already seen it coming and blocked it effortlessly.

“You’re good, Damen.” He told him and smiled encouragingly. “You almost defeated me last time.”

Damen huffed embarrassed. “But I still didn’t beat you yet.” He slammed his sword again against Auguste’s. 

The older one laughed at Damen’s enthusiasm until he thought it enough. With one smooth move he grabbed his opponent’s shoulders and threw him on the floor. Damianos’ sword fell out of his hands while Auguste held his at his throat. He leaned down, his long blond hair spread out like a curtain. “Don’t be too harsh to yourself. I’m six years older than you, of course you lack the experience. If you were older, I would not even be sure of my victory.”

Damen stared into earnest, deep blue eyes for a moment before he turned his head away. If his skin colour wouldn’t be so dark, he would have been embarrassed for more reasons than just a defeat against another prince. “Father once told me he beat his first opponent at five. I’m one year older now and everything I do is lose.”

Auguste cooked his head to the side. “And was his opponent as old as I am now?”

“He didn’t tell.”

The blond boy smiled down at him. He did this often. Smile. “I’m sure he wasn’t so much older. He probably just wanted to impress you, to show you that he’s strong. I can’t even count on both hands how many times I lost against Jord before I could finally celebrate my first victory.”

A slow smile spread on Damen’s face at the thought. Auguste eyed him a little longer, satisfied with improving his friend’s mood, and then eventually stood up. He held his hand out and Damen took it.

“It’s nearly afternoon. That means Laurent should be up. It kind of became my favourite part of the day over the last few months.” Excited, he grabbed Damen’s hand and lead him back to the castle. “I’m so glad you two can finally meet! You must see him, Damen! He’s so beautiful and he babbles to himself all the time, I don’t think there are other babies over there who are so happy to learn. He’s so smart.”

Damen glanced at his friend who smiled proudly and told him with shining eyes about how well his brother was doing. Damen himself didn’t know the feeling as he was the younger one. But he too got proud of Kastor sometimes. Still, Auguste had a protective aura that probably only older siblings could have.

“Shouldn’t we bathe first? I don’t want for your parents to see me near your little brother all stinking and dirty.”

Auguste stopped abruptly. “But what if we miss the opportunity of Laurent being awake?”

“Can’t he just... being woken up?” Damen asked.

Auguste regarded him with big eyes. “No, silly! He’s a baby! Babies need sleep! Mother says Laurent needs even more sleep than I did because he’s a little bit weaker than I am. I don’t want to disturb him, so we have to wait until he wakes up. He wakes up in the afternoon and in the middle of the night.”

“In the middle of the night?”

“It’s a baby-thing.”

“Ah.”

They stopped in front of a double door. Starbursts were carved in rich smelling wood while gold decorated the frame. It looked just like the doors for a prince should look like. All expensive and extravagant.

“I’m glad he’s housed in my wing.” Auguste said and then bid the guards to open the doors.

The room was enormous and Damen didn’t understand why a baby should be in need of so much space. But it was also bright, blue and gold dominated nearly every surface and the windows were big and spend a big amount of light. He mused it was good for infants.

And in the centre there he was. In a absurdly big baby bed lied the second prince of Vere, or so he thought. That indicated the petite hands that grabbed the air and the small noises that came from there.

Auguste rushed to the bed with the biggest grin Damen had ever seen him wearing. He distantly heard a gulp and then soft giggles. Not knowing what to do, he stood in place and watched with something like wonder as the crown prince of Vere picked his baby brother up and held him in his arms.

He smiled warmly and Laurent giggled again. The younger prince then did something not everyone could have easily done without being punished: he grabbed a fistful of Auguste’s golden locks and tugged, hard. While Auguste winced, but smiled nonetheless, Laurent babbled happily.

Auguste then looked up at him and gestured for him to come. Damen did so haltingly and took a better look at the youngest of them three. He could have sworn he actually stopped breathing the moment he put his eyes on the bluest eyes he had ever seen. The owner of those stunning, big, calculating and innocent eyes had a round face with baby fat. The petite one seemed to take Damen in because he had stopped smiling. But then his round pink cheeks got even pinker and another smile appeared on his face. He let go of Auguste’s hair and stretched his arms towards Damen’s head.

“Let him touch your hair.” Auguste told him. “It’s a sign he likes you.”

Damen flushed and did what his friend asked of him: he bowed before little Laurent and let him near his hair. Partly because he hadn’t reason to not do so, and partly because he wanted to hide his uncertainty. Shortly thereafter he felt the smallest fingers grab his hair and heard satisfied giggles coming from the baby.

Damen raised his head again as soon as Laurent let him go and found himself face to face with a smiling infant. He couldn’t stop himself from smiling back and slowly stretched his hands towards Laurent’s fat cheeks. He looked at Auguste for permission and the older one nodded his head encouragingly. He then tenderly touched the baby’s right cheek and bathed in the feeling of touching the most delicate skin in the world.

When he retreated, Auguste turned Laurent so the brothers could look at each other. With pure love for his little brother, Auguste pressed his lips at his temple and then took his little hand and covered his every finger with tender kisses. “I’ll for ever protect you.” He whispered.

Damen’s heart grew heavy at the sight and he found himself loving the little prince nearly as much as his brother did the moment Laurent giggled again.

  

“Exalted, mercy!”

Damen stood on the throne, the throne that once belonged to his father, two years ago. Before the Vaskians had done a dishonourable move and had poisoned him.

Bile raised in his throat as he regarded the coward kneeling in front of him. Damen had made men piss themselves before and didn’t see any reason to not do so this time. A great king should be respected and feared. “You speak of mercy as if it’s that easily deserved. But did you show mercy as you took the life of a father and his motherless child?”

The man started to tremble. “It was cold. I... I only wanted a place to stay over the night, but he didn’t let me. I heard wolves howl and then I simply did it. I thought: it’s me or them.”

“So you decided your life is more worth than theirs?” Damen asked, unimpressed.

“Don’t all royals decide so?” Asked the man.

“Guard your tongue, or are you so keen on getting it cut off?” Growled Damen and the man whimpered as one of the guards smashed his head on the floor and held it there with his sandals. The guard then looked at Damen. He silently asked for permission to behead him. Because that’s what usually happens to men who dare to speak disrespectful to him. He shook his head. The guards retreated.

“You’ll have your tongue and your fingers cut.” Decided Damen. “The tongue for daring to speak to me like that. Your fingers for daring to end someone’s life with them.” The guards made to pick the man up and bring him away, but Damen stopped them with a signal. “Only the fingers of one hand.”

The man started to cry and shout, he begged for mercy which Damen didn’t grant. His voice got quieter and quieter as he was removed from Damen’s sight.

“Why only one hand?” Kastor asked as soon as they were alone. His big brother acted as his right hand and they often had the same opinion, but there were still times when Damen didn’t wait for Kastor’s approval and just did what he thought best. His brother has learned long ago that at times like this Damen couldn’t be persuaded otherwise.

“Because he should still be able to work and therefore pay tax. It was hard enough for him to lose the ability to speak.” Damen explained and sighed.

Kastor nodded approvingly. “The _kyros_ will soon return.”

Damen smiled. “I know. Nikandros already wrote to me.” His smile faltered. “I asked him to accompany me to Vere to renew the peace treaty.”

“Ah.”

Damen glanced over at him. “You know Vere doesn’t... accept bastards.”

“I know.”

“But that’s not the reason I didn’t ask you to come with me.”

Kastor actually looked surprised at that. “Is that so?”

“Yes.” Damen bit his lip. “Just because they are against something doesn’t mean I’m going to neglect and disrespect you and leave you behind. You’re my brother. Your well-being comes first, you know that? Why else should I, as one of the first things after the death of father, have arranged for your kids to get the throne instead of mine?”

Kastor’s face softened. “Yes, I know.” He stopped. “But why else-“

“I want you to reign while I’m away.”

Kastor was speechless. He stared incredulous at his brother. “You would trust me?”

“You know I would.”

After, he retreated to his rooms. He ordered a slave to make him a hot bath and to wait for him there on their knees. As he entered the bathshe didn’t find the awaited slave but Jokaste. “Where is Lykaios?”

She pursued her lips. “I thought you would be more happy to see me.”

“Jokaste, where is Lykaios? Don’t make me repeat myself again.”

“I sent her away.”

He closed his eyes and opened them slowly again. “What gave you the right to send away the slave I ordered?”

“As if you wouldn’t prefer me.”

“What I prefer or not know only I. I’m the king and if a want to have a slave, I do as I please. I don’t need your permission, understand?” He asked and looked her dead in the eye.

She swallowed. “I understand, Exalted.” Then she slowly made to leave.

“Jokaste?” She stopped. “No one during my father’s regime dared to take such freedom. And I definitely won’t let it happen with me. It’s disrespectful. I make an exception with you, this only time. But then you’ll take the consequences.”

She left wordlessly. Damen could feel her anger but he let her pass. He knew she thought she had some priorities because he sometimes took pleasure in her, but he wasn’t anyone’s fool.

  

The castle of Vere shone brightly in the sun and looked exactly like something coming out of a fairy tale. If you didn’t get a headache from all the ornaments, that’s it.

“I wasn’t here since two years.” Damen told Nikandros while excitement bubbled in the pit of his stomach. “Crown prince Auguste and I used to fight when we were kids and I kept losing. Two years ago was the first time I beat him and I didn’t lose since.” He smirked at the memory of an irritated Auguste on his back.

“Of course, I’ve never seen a finer swordsman than you.” Nikandros replied.

“Do you say that because I’m your king, because I’m your friend or because it’s the truth?”

“Yes.” Nikandros answered and grinned in return.

Damen let out a short laugh. “And prince Laurent, you should have seen him! He still didn’t have the look of a man, with all his baby fat on his face. He got all mad and red whenever Auguste and I called him cutie-pie.”

It was Nikandros’ turn to laugh. “Yes, I can imagine. I only have the picture of a toddler running after his brother with at least two books into his tiny arms. Truly, it’s been a long time since I’ve seen the younger prince of Vere.”

They came to a halt at the gates and were immediately greeted by the crown prince himself. He extended his arms and Damen forgot the protocol. He jumped out of the saddle and embraced his old friend. “I’m glad you’re here!” Auguste laughed.

“Me too.” Damen responded. Still grinning he asked: “Where’s cutie-pie?”

Auguste grinned cheekily. “Nowadays he has become quite handsome. I didn’t hear of anyone having more suitors than Laurent.” He became serious. “Of course no one of them got near him.” Damen started to snicker. Auguste then got up on his tiptoes and whispered into his ear: “He’s in the gardens, on the bench he always is. You can go greet him there in silence, you know he doesn’t feel comfortable around too much people. Meantime I give my father an explanation of why the king of Akielos got a little delayed.”

Damen patted him on the shoulders. It was then that he realised Auguste didn’t longer lean down to speak with him. Now it was his turn to be the larger one. What a great feeling it was. “You’re the best.”

“I know.”

He found Laurent where Auguste told him he would be.

His long golden hair caressed his face as he bowed his head in order to read. And by gods, Auguste had lied. Laurent wasn’t handsome. He literary resembled a marble statue of a god. No, he was the god.

His skin looked more delicate than petals. Roses looked pale compared to his full lips and his cheeks had lost every bit of baby fat, leaving behind high cheek bones. Damen had many lovers before. Lovers and slaves, but no one of them could even hold a candle against Laurent. The world didn’t deserve beauty like this.

But then again he was aware this was Auguste’s brother. The young man he had known since he was a baby.

Damen smiled happily as he approached him. Laurent had his lips between his teeth and his brows were furrowed. He seemed to be very invested in the story, so much he didn’t hear Damen coming until he was his personal shade.

Laurent looked up and his big blue eyes recognised him within a minute. A beautiful smile spread across his face and his cheeks got pink. “Exalted.” He said.

“Stop it.” Damen demanded.

“I heard stories of your strict rule.”

“You know it doesn’t apply to you and your brother, so stop pretending you would even act otherwise if I asked you to be that formal.” He smirked the minute Laurent flushed even harder.

Damen then sat down on the bench too and took both of Laurent’s hands in his while he planted kisses on his every fingers, just like he had seen Auguste do nineteen years ago. But now the younger prince couldn’t be distinguished from a tomato. Damen took pleasure in turning him pink. Laurent was always so easily getting timid, it was the greatest thing one could accomplish.

“I’ve missed you.” He told him earnestly. “You and Auguste. The golden siblings.”

Laurent looked away. “Yes, I... I noticed your absence, too.”

Damen then wholeheartedly started to laugh. “Thank you, I think.”

Laurent lowered his eyes.

Damen then decided he didn’t want to torture the shy prince any longer and distanced himself a bit. “What are you reading?”

Laurent brightened at the question. “Did you know you Akielons are quite credulous?”

“Yes, I’m aware. Laurent, I am one.” Damen answered smugly.

“I found a book about different beliefs you have. You believe intwelve gods-“

“There are more, but yes, the main ones are only twelve.”

Laurent raised his eyebrows. “Interesting. But you also think that... uhm... there is more than one world, yes?”

Damen smiled softly. “Yes. Is there any proof there aren’t several worlds?”

“Is there any proof there are?” Laurent asked back and shook his head incredulous. “Where did you even get that idea?”

“My father once told me the story about how Zeus got mad with the humans.” Damen started. “So instead of getting rid of them, he simply created a new world. A world in which the humans behaved the way he wanted them to. But then the humans got him mad again and so he created another world and then another until the other gods told him that it was impossible to create a perfect world because humans will for ever be selfish, ignorant and bad.” He tried to think about the outcome and how unsatisfied it had left him as a kid. “So he simply let all those worlds exist, parallel to each other. Of course the other gods were then angry with Zeus because they had more work to do.”

Laurent regarded him for a long time. “You Akielons have a great imagination.”

“Thank you, I guess.” Damen repeated.

“Never mind. What I wanted to tell you is that I just read about the theories how those other worlds might just be.” Laurent shook his head. “Some believe there exist exact same copies of you, but they just lead a totally different life. For example in another world you might just as well be a farmer instead of a king.” 

“Damianos the farmer. Doesn’t sound that bad.”

Laurent laughed. “Stop.” He looked at Damen with flushed cheeks and bright eyes. “Some believe there is a world where males can get pregnant.”

“Hey, that’s not that unlikely, ok! I mean, Apollo had male lovers himself and some got pregnant, I heard.” Damen defended but laughed nonetheless.

“Some believe there is a world where there is a never-ending fight over a crown. Where almost everyone is keen on sitting on an iron throne, where a mad king once sat, and they... just keep fighting and fighting for decades but the fighting never ends.” Laurent paused. “Oh and there are dragons too.”

“Ok, that’s something I don’t believe in.” Damen admitted. 

“But there are also a few that believe there is a world where everything is the same as in this world. There are only minor differences. You would still be a king and I still a prince, but something would be different.”

“Like?”

“I don’t know.” Laurent admitted. He then looked back at Damen and smiled. “I wasted enough time with reading. We should go, father awaits you.” He said softly.

Because that’s what Laurent was. Soft. Bookish. Timid. No wonder Auguste wanted to protect him from more experienced suitors. And Damen wanted to do the same. Because never mind how sharp Laurent could be with his mind, Damen couldn’t imagine him anything other than delicate.


	2. Being In The Woods

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Damen and Laurent survive the assassination but they don’t know what happened.

**Earth 1:**

 

_“You look like a whore.” Laurent murmurs, sweetly and calm. “Filthy painted slut. Did you spread for my uncle like you did for Kastor?”_

Damen woke up with renewed hatred against the prince of Vere.

Over the last few months, Laurent has done unspeakable things in order to humiliate him. And even though, deep down somewhere, Laurent might be a human being and not a sadistic bastard, Damen still had those recurrent dreams. _Nightmares_. Laurent, sitting across from him, smiling while he’s being whipped. Laurent, watching him being drugged while he fights against Govart. Laurent, telling him he looks like a whore. Laurent, forcing him to get head from Ancel.

The hatred grew and grew and covered the memory of Laurent helping him with the slaves - and of the human side of him. But honestly, it was hard to like Laurent when he was nothing more than the personification of cruelty. His poor uncle. He tried so hard to reach to the good side of him, but without any success.

Then the source causing his abrupt awakening made itself noticeable. He looked around, blinded by the darkness, and expecting it to be Laurent. Only Laurent woke him in the middle of the night. But it wasn’t him. There were two men. They both wore the prince’s livery - but he didn’t know them.

“The prince called for you.” That was the only thing he got out of them.

But after they got into Laurent’s chambers, it became clear he hadn’t. The prince was just as surprised as he was. It was no surprise, though, that soon everything got out of hand. Suddenly, he and Laurent weren’t opponents anymore, not really. They both fought against the same danger and for their lives. And won.

It was the first time Damen had seen Laurent fight. It wasn’t fair, as it was already expected from the poisonous prince, but he had won nonetheless. It was a negative surprise to find out that the boy hadn’t just a sharp tongue and mind. And for a moment Damen hated himself for thinking about the graceful way Laurent might look with a sword. Or about the attractive way his cheeks flushed and his body trembled.

He didn’t have time to figure out why the prince of Vere was in this kind of state (because normally he was nothing more than composed and cold and not shivering like a virgin during her first night),because soon enough several men bursted into the room. They all were the regent’s men.

“Your Highness, are you hurt?” One of them asked. Laurent stiffened. “We brought a physician with us. We found your dead guards and thought you could be injured as well.”

The man that came from behind them wasn’t Pashal. He wasn’t even Veretian. He had Damen’s skins colour and wore garments Damen could have sworn he had seen them somewhere. Maybe in books? But he simply couldn’t remember.

The physician, if he really was one, looked partly disgusted. That was the proof Damen needed in order to get suspicious. What kind of physician got sick at the at the look of blood?

“Light more candles.” The man said. The guards moved immediately as if the prince himself had ordered them around.

Out of the corner of his eye, Damen could see Laurent scoff. “I didn’t ask for such a thing, in my personal chambers. You may leave. Tell my uncle I don’t need you... except for cleaning up the corpses, maybe.”

But the men didn’t pay him any attention and that unnerved Laurent more than ever since his breath came out shallower and his trembling, slowly but surely, started to get obvious. For now, only Damen noticed. Or so he thought.

“You need to relax, your Highness. Don’t worry, it will go away, I promise.”

They exchanged a few looks where they seemed to have a silent conversation. Laurent gritted his teeth.

“He will kill you. He will kill you all but you’re too dumb to get it!” Laurent hissed. “Do you really think he will let you witness how I get murdered and let you go? How pathetic are you?”

“The drug softed his tongue. He used to be more vulgar than that.” One of the man said and Damen wanted to kill him. He knew Veretians weren’t honorable and that they played dirty but the knowledge that everyone was aware why Laurent was in this kind of state - and didn’t have any objections - made him sick to the stomach. Nowhere in his country would anyone dare to drug a royal. Despite himself, Damen felt pity for the man who ruined his back.

“What do you mean by “getting murdered?” Damen asked and knew it was a silly thing to say. Everything was obvious. This was an assassination where Laurent was drugged and he himself exhausted from the previous fight. They stood no chance. 

Laurent shoot him a look that may had murdered him already if this was anyway possible. 

“Don’t worry. Everything will get better, I promise.” The so called physician said. “Exalted.” The last word was said in Damen’s direction and Damen stopped thinking all together. The knowing look of the man left no doubt wether or not it was just an accident and he did mean Laurent by that.

But no one seemed to notice and Damen swallowed, hard. He couldn’t afford for anyone, especially Laurent, know of his true identity. They would torture him to death. 

Maybe he could order the man around, tell him to help him out of here, but how could such a fragile man do anything against several guards. Also, he couldn’t let Laurent behind while he couldn’t protect himself.

He had paid no attention to his surroundings and suddenly he was aware of the sand the men had sprinkled on the ground. They created a circle with it around him and Laurent and that was the moment he remembered where he had seen the garments of the man before. A priest. But for what use, he didn’t know.

The eyes of the priest bore holes into Damen as he started to pray in an ancient language. It was too much to bear and so he looked away. The last thing he saw before the light coming out of nowhere blinded him completely, was Laurent’s fine form and his big clueless eyes. In that moment he looked so much younger while he faced the unknown. He seemed innocent and afraid and far from the cruel bastard he was.

 

**Earth 2:**

 

Laurent could feel his heart beating like crazy long before he gathered the strength to open his eyes. His head might as well explode, it hurt so bad. He despised his uncle and his horrible plan. Truly, killing him directly was probably a better alternative than torturing him first with this headache.

“Your Highness?” A now familiar but still hated voice said.

Laurent forced himself to open his eyes quickly. He couldn’t afford being vulnerable around the barbarian. Though the pain that shot through him was nearly unbearable, he managed to to not only open his eyes but also sit up. Soon, the pain was replaced with another feeling. The drug hadn’t vanished yet and he had to put to use all his practice over the years in order to suppress a moan.

The first thing he noticed was that it was early in the morning and no longer night. How much time has passed?

“What happened?” Laurent asked and hated himself for having to rely on the words of his brother’s killer.

“I’m not sure. The only thing I know is that we appeared in the middle of nowhere. And that we aren’t physically hurt.”

Great, the barbarian could as well shut up. He was just useless. But Laurent was still too weak and too hot so he couldn’t scoff at him properly.

Laurent looked around himself. He knew were they were. They were in the woods, not too far away from the place were they went hunting the last time. But how?

Maybe someone had actually took pity on him and tried to save him and so he was brought here, but that didn’t explain why he couldn’t remember how he got there. Maybe it was part of his uncle’s plan to get rid of him and soon several men would appear and finish the job. But maybe... no. The idea was so ridiculous Laurent just blamed it on the drug. Because he actually thought that maybe nothing of it had happened at all and he was still on the hunting trip with his uncle. Stupid thoughts.

He tried to move and to get a better look at his surroundings but then he actually winced at the fraction his legs provided. Embarrassed and angry with himself and his uncle, he looked over at the barbarian who looked at him with an unreadable stare.

“It will get away if you get some help...”

“Don’t.”

Damianos felt silent.

He didn’t suppress his emotions all those years for naught. If he could endure all the gossiping without batting an eyelash, if he could endure being drugged over and over by his uncle and to not let a sound leave his lips, then he could manage to also control his primal needs right now. Even though the way the muscles of the barbarian flexed were appealing... Stop. He was sick of himself.

Nowadays his body just wasn’t used to the drug anymore. But he could recall the ways how he’d managed before. Not that it was hard to get the pictures out of his head.

“I would suggest we part ways but I don’t want to let you in this state.” Damianos said and Laurent wanted to laugh in his face. As though that murder could be so honorable after all. It was all manipulation.

“Part ways? And let you run away? Do you think me that stupid or are you really that brainless as I thought?” Laurent hissed. His voice was almost as cold as he had wished it to be. He always was a quick learner, his uncle had said.

“Right now we are an easy target for everyone your uncle had sent in order to kill us.” The barbarian said. “I don’t know why he didn’t do it before, but he’s going to nonetheless. What should prevent him from that? Think of it that way: everyone searches for a blond horny beauty and an Akielon at his side. We can’t be overseen.”

“Horny?” Laurent hissed.

“I saw the way you looked at me earlier.”

“If you try to touch me, I’ll cut out your dick and stuff it in your own ass.” Laurent threatened with a murderous voice. “Then we’ll see if you like the feeling.”

“I wouldn’t spit such big words if you’re the one who moans almost every second word.” Damianos said smugly. Laurent wanted to pick up a rock and throw it in his face. “But you convinced me. You can take care of yourself. Now we can part ways.”

“Are you deaf or just dumb? You’re my slave and I don’t allow you to go anywhere! As if I would easily give you your desired freedom.”

Damianos turned serious. “I won’t run away. Not before I can assure that you won’t get yourself killed. If you die, your uncle will become king and honestly, you’re the better choice. At least you didn’t try to kill family.” He said. “We’ll separate and search the area, look after more assassins. Alone we can hide better, and you know it. If we’re sure we’re safe, we can think of what we’re doing next.”

Laurent wanted to spit in his face. He was right. But then again Damianos had lead armies at seventeen, of course his way of thinking was to be expected.

“When the sun has reached its highest point, I await you right here. If you don’t come, I’ll hunt you down and slit you like a pig.” _Just like you did with my brother._  It was left unsaid. “Do you understand?” Laurent asked.

Damianos nodded and disappeared soon after.

With great force, Laurent moved in the opposite direction and didn’t longer hide his whimpers. He was grateful for the fact that there weren’t any mirrors around because he couldn’t have endured the way he looked like a needing whore. He sure was flushing all over his body and his glazed eyes probably helped the image men had after fucking.

But that little obstacle didn’t prevent him from looking after potential assassins. He tried to hide and even thought about covering up his hair since it was rather short and would be done in no time. But he couldn’t find the strength in doing anything beside walking and looking. He was glad Damianos wasn’t there so he had time to compose himself.

When he was ready and sure that nobody was after them, he returned to their meeting point. And waited. And waited. And waited. But Damianos didn’t show up even long after he initially should have. Bile and rage roused within Laurent. He felt humiliated. Partly due to the fact that he still could feel the drug in his body, but it was bearable, and partly because he let himself be fooled by a man who destroyed his life by killing his brother.

But then he heard it. Panik surgedtrough him as soon as he recognised the sound of a horse. And where a horse was there was also a man. He doubted it was just a coincidence and so the first thought was that he hadn’t looked after potential attacks good enough.

He wanted to hide in a nearly bush but then the figure became visible and Laurent stopped. The man on the horse - it was Damianos.

He galloped right where Laurent was. But... something was wrong. He didn’t wear the garments he had worn earlier. More so, they now were replaced with Akielons ones.

Damianos stopped right in front of Laurent and got off the horse even before the animal came to a proper halt. He surged forward, his face concerned but his eyes full of something Laurent had only seen in his brother’s. They were full of adoration.

Laurent was too stunned to say anything. He had forgotten how it was to be looked at that way. Everything he had known since his brother’s death were cold stares or lustful gazes. For a moment, he felt lost. He felt like thirteen again, his brother in the tent, looking at him with the same expression, saying he will be back soon to read Laurent a good night story. Right before he was killed and never again got the chance to keep his promise.

“Laurent?” The barbarian then said. As if he had any right to call him by his given name. He made a step towards Laurent. Laurent took a step back. That seemed to unsettle Damianos and hurtful eyes mixed with shock stared down at him. “What happened to your hair?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for your comments! They mean so much and they are so helpful! :) I’m glad someone likes the idea! 
> 
> Next chapter Laurent will meet his brother ;)


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